Category: Adult Autism

Peace and Freedom

Posted on by Gregory Wood

Due to my Aspergers and anxiety issues I tend to hyper focus on my problems, conflicts with people, etc. I learned this as a result of having to overcome so many problems in obtaining my education. Hyper focus was my strength.  Hyper focus was a plus in the school environment but not so good with my people skills and the work environment of sales, customer service positions that require flexibility in thinking and tasks.  In my volunteer capacity at the Red Cross there is no structure in the job tasks I perform.  I have been in a disaster operation with the organization, which causes a great deal of stress for me in trying to do a good job and working with people I do not know, and therefore don’t know their pattern of behavior. When I am overwhelmed I will lash out in frustration.  Once the operation has settled down and I am performing a routine task that is suited to me than I am at peace.   

Part of my goal in freedom and peace of mind is to have structure where I can manage my anxiety and rigid thinking as I interact with people.  All my adult life I felt if I could be the expert and not have to rely on people skills. I would have been more peaceful in my work environment if I could have done that.  When I would tell people it was very often discounted so when I worked in services where I had to interact with people, I thought they must be right. 

In the past when I was cornered I would quit or leave a relationship or environment.  Being sent away from home taught me that. In order to create peace and reduce my anxiety I have had help in learning coping skills to calm my mind. One of the mantras I use is,  “I can not control it”.   That pulls me out and gives my mind a break. 

Traveling with Semester At Sea

Posted on by Gregory Wood
Part of my issues in managing anxiety is in the world of travel these days. I had to learn how to keep my stress down but systems like the TSA are always a surprise. I create my own system to be ready for these things but they do not always work. An example is how I pack my luggage and have pre-check. I decided to go back to the class room and take a voyage on the Semester at Sea. I was with over 500 students, faculty and staff, and I was part of a group called life long learners. I had to manage many things outside my daily routine.
I learned how to be a part of a community and gain support. I tried different foods. I made adjustments mentally and physically to ensure my success.  I asked questions about the customs process before each port to ease my anxiety around any surprises. I was allowed to have a meeting before each port with the field trip department to ease my anxiety about things that were not normal like having to get up at 3 am to make a flight to a destination. I found that getting the information individually before our large and noisy pre-port meeting helped me remain calm and less anxious. Some of the topics covered in the pre-port meetings was safety and health issues of each country. The community offered accommodation to me after I explained that I was dealing with Asberger’s. At the beginning of the trip I was pretty anxious that some people thought I was high maintenance.  I attended classes, ate meals with a variety of people each day, enjoyed my interaction with the ship staff. In the past I may have gotten off the ship early, but I completed the full program.  
Here’s some interesting facts:
The ship traveled 22,721 nautical miles or 26,245 land miles
3000 pounds of peanut butter were consumed 
1440 pounds of jam were consumed
The trip lasted 102 days
We covered 4 continents and 14 countries 
We passed through 18 time changes 
The ship had 2 captains
2.5 million gallons of fresh water were consumed
812,000 gallons of fuel was used
Countries visited:
Hawaii, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Myanmar, Mauritius, Chana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Morocco, Portugal, Germany